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Extreme Risk (episode)
The crew races to build a new shuttle designed by Tom Paris, in order to retrieve a multispatial probe trapped inside a gas giant. Meanwhile, B'Elanna's attitude worries the crew. Summary Teaser On board an orbital shuttle, B'Elanna Torres is preparing for orbital skydiving in the holodeck, when she tells the pilot to increase altitude, something which he objects to since they are already at 200,000 meters and any higher would risk thermolyzing. B'Elanna overrides his objections, and then disengages the safety protocols, in spite of the computer's warning that such an action poses an "extreme risk". Shortly after jumping out of the shuttle, Commander Chakotay calls her and orders her to report to main engineering. While heading to engineering, B'Elanna meets Seven of Nine, who informs her that the probe is ready to launch, but that there is a problem with the telemetry link. B'Elanna surprises Seven by asking her to take over with the launch, offhandedly remarking that she is not feeling well, but refusing Seven's offer to call The Doctor. Act One In space, one of 's probes is caught by a Malon tractor beam. Since Voyager is two hours away at maximum warp, the probe is left to its own devices, under Kim's direction from the bridge. Tuvok suggests that the probe emit a polaron burst to disrupt the tractor beam and escape. Although this works, Tom Paris notes that the probe will never be able to outrun the Malon export vessel, eleventh gradient. Captain Janeway, however, remembers that the probe passed a class 6 gas giant that morning, and suggests that the probe could hide there. The atmospheric pressure would be dangerous, but the probe's Borg shielding is believed to able to withstand the atmosphere, although the Malon's hull would not. The probe successfully enters the gas giant, and, in spite of warnings from Voyager, the Malon freighter follows it in and is destroyed. Later, in the briefing room, the senior staff discusses the probe's situation. Although it is caught 10,000 kilometers beneath the surface in a layer of liquid hydrogen and methane, the probe appears to be intact. B'Elanna arrives, late, and when asked if transporter range could be increased to reach the probe, she replies with a stern "no". Troubled by her brief response Chakotay probes further, but she assures him that the transporter could not be boosted through such atmospheric conditions. Paris then suggests that the only course of action is to go down to retrieve the probe directly, to which Tuvok responds by asking if Paris had noticed the Malon export vessel, eleventh gradient's implosion. Paris replies that they can use their new shuttle, and unveils his plans for the Delta Flyer. The staff begins to respond enthusiastically to the design offering technical suggestions, and Janeway approves the plan, hoping to have it constructed within a week. Torres, however, seems unenthusiastic, and makes no comment, even when prompted by Paris. In the holodeck, Tuvok and Paris are working on the hull design and begin to argue about the merits of dynametric tailfins. Tuvok ultimately removes the feature, justifying the action with the statement that the shuttle is not a "hot rod". Paris protests, but Seven turns the conversation to structural integrity, noting that Torres' plan to use titanium was flawed, and that a tetraburnium alloy would better withstand the atmospheric pressures. To everyone's surprise, B'Elanna doesn't protest, but quietly agrees, and leaves to go work on the thruster specs. B'Elanna later delivers the said specs to Paris in his quarters, and makes ready to leave when Tom suggests that she stop and have dinner with him. She declines, claiming to be tired, but Paris confronts her about her reclusive attitude. She defends herself by claiming that she is still on schedule with her work, but he presses the point, saying he is concerned as her friend, not as her superior. B'Elanna leaves, but on the way to her quarter passes by the holodeck and hesitates. She decides to run program Torres 216, again deactivating the safeties in spite of the computer's warning. The program turns out to be a cave, in which she is attacked by a number of Cardassians in hand to hand combat. Act Two Voyager enters a high orbit around the gas giant, in an effort to recover the probe. A Malon freighter hails the ship and demands they leave. They blame Voyager for the loss of the first ship and its crew. The Malon captain insists that they will take the probe as evidence. Janeway tells the captain that in the future, his species should stay away from vessels with Starfleet markings, ending the transmission. Chakotay suggests that the reason they are after the probe is due to its multispatial technology, supposing that perhaps the Malons think it will help them find new places to dispose of their garbage. In the mess hall, B'Elanna Torres surprises Neelix, who says he has not seen many people due to the work on the new shuttle. B'Elanna states that she is there to catch up with him. She states that she would like him to make banana pancakes, like her grandmother used to make, as they always put a smile on her face. Neelix does so, and is befuddled when she doesn't eat them. Encouraging her to take a bite, she half-heartedly tells him that they are delicious and that she must get back to work. Meanwhile on the bridge, Janeway tries to decide what to do with the Malon crew still in orbit. Seven contacts the cabin that she has information concerning the Malon vessel. Once arriving in the astrometric lab, Seven informs her that the Malon crew is creating a similar shuttle to Tom's, and that they will finish before the Delta Flyer is ready. Janeway states that it looks like it is time for a race. Act Three *''Captain's log, supplemental. We've stepped up the pace of construction in order to finish our shuttle before the Malon finish theirs. According to Seven's most recent intelligence, we've gained some ground over the last 24 hours, putting us in a virtual dead heat with our competitors. '' During construction of the Delta Flyer, B'Elanna snaps at Vorik for making too much noise while other members of the crew each have personal opinions regarding the vessel. Tuvok and Tom Paris disagree over when to launch the Delta Flyer. B'Elanna goes to the holodeck to run a simulation of the Delta Flyer entering atmosphere and disengages safety protocols in the holodeck for the third time. B'Elanna discovers the locations of microfractures on the Flyer but is injured and passes out. Vrelk threatens Voyager by releasing a small amount of anti-matter waste and suggest that Voyager's shields will not be capable of handling larger amounts of anti-matter. The Malon and Voyager have both been spying on each other and it seems the Malon shuttle will be finished in two days, before the Delta Flyer will be ready. Janeway suggests construction be sped up and Chakotay goes to find B'Elanna in the holodeck just before a hull breach. In the sick bay, the doctor brings her round. He informs her she has been there, unconscious, for almost 12 hours. B'Elanna gets up to go back to work. However Janeway says the Doctor has found internal injuries, some months old, life-threatening and badly treated. Janeway is worried about B'Elanna and places her under the Doctor's supervision and off the shuttle project until B'Elanna becomes more forthcoming. Act Four Paris tells Janeway engines are operating at almost 90% efficiency. Janeway brings up B'Elanna and Paris indicates they have not been talking. Chakotay agrees to dig through B'Elanna's personal holodeck programs to find the reason behind her self inflicted injuries. Chakotay visits B'Elanna who reveals that the doctor thinks she has clinical depression. Chakotay takes B'Elanna to the holodeck and activates program Torres-Zeta-1: a program in which B'Elanna and Chakotay's Maquis comrades are being slaughtered. B'Elanna only ran the program for 47 seconds before using other Holodeck programs without the safety on. Chakotay locks B'Elanna in the holodeck and interrogates her. B'Elanna explains that she is trying to feel she is still alive. She states that she has no feelings about her dead friends, Tom, Chakotay or her job. Chakotay suggests that B'Elanna can not shut off her emotions and that she has to grieve. B'Elanna believes she has lost all the family she ever had after Chakotay informed her of the Maquis massacre. Chakotay replies that Voyager is her new family and she is not going to lose them. Chakotay tells B'Elanna she needs to figure out another way to deal with this and B'Elanna says she does not know how. Act Five The Malon attack Voyager to distract them from their shuttle launch. B'Elanna begs Chakotay to go on the Delta Flyer and says she is the best engineer for the jobs and that she needs to do this. Inside the Delta Flyer, Harry Kim spots the Malon ship who proceeds to launch spatial charges. Seven of Nine loads photonic missiles and the Malon ship takes 3 direct hits. However the Delta Flyer starts to lose structural integrity. The probe is retrieved but secondary systems are still down. Seven and B'Elanna seal a panel and B'Elanna using a phaser and an EPS conduit erects a force field just before the panel has a breach. The Malon ship is having trouble leaving the atmosphere and Janeway orders "Get us out of here". B'Elanna thanks Chakotay for what he did with the holodeck but says if he ever does anything like it again she will break his neck. B'Elanna smiles as she digs into a plate of banana pancakes. Memorable Quotes "Look, we could spend weeks trying to solve this, but we've got a ticking clock. Engines are working; weapons systems are online. I say we launch now and hope for the best." "Mr. Paris, that is perhaps the most illogical statement you have ever made." : - Paris and Tuvok "We are not designing a 'hot rod', Lieutenant." : - Tuvok, after having the computer remove the dynametric tail fins from the model of the Delta Flyer. "Vorik, turn that damn thing off!" : - B'Elanna to Vorik who is using a noisy tool. Background Information *This is the first episode to feature the Delta Flyer. *This episode featured the on-screen debut of the sky-diving suit that James T. Kirk wore in a scene deleted from . *Hamilton Camp previously played Leck in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes and . *This episode featured Torres coming to terms with the death of the remaining Maquis in the Alpha Quadrant, which she learned of in the season four episode . Video and DVD releases *UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 5.2, . *As part of the VOY Season 5 DVD collection. Links and references Guest stars * Hamilton Camp as Vrelk * Alexander Enberg as Vorik Co-stars * Daniel Betances as Pilot * Majel Barrett as the computer voice Uncredited co-stars * Chuck Borden as a holographic Cardassian * Tarik Ergin as Ayala * Irving E. Lewis as a holographic Cardassian * Unknown performers as ** Li Paz ** Meyer ** Nelson ** Sahreen Stunt double *Leslie Hoffman as stunt double for Roxann Dawson References antimatter waste; attitude control; banana pancakes; burgundy; "Captain Proton" scenario; Cardassian; cell block; class 2 shuttle; class 6 gas giant; clinical depression; coherent neutrino beam; Controller; contusion; cranial trauma; Delta Flyer; dynametric tailfins; engineer; EPS relay; exosphere; force field; high orbit; holodeck safety protocol; hot rod; hull breach; hydrogen; immersive shielding; immersion shielding; injury report; internal bleeding; ionosphere; isomagnetic EPS conduit; kellinite; Malon; Malon export vessel, eleventh gradient; Malon shuttlecraft; Maquis; methane; microfracture; multispatial probe; multispatial technology; neutrino beam; nurse; orbital skydiving; parametallic hull plating; phaser; plasma manifold; polaron burst; polythermal image; photonic missile; plasma manifold; polaron; salvage operation; Ship's Counselor; space race; spatial charge; structural integrity; structural integrity field; suicide; tetraburnium; thermalize; theta radiation; thruster; titanium; Torres, John; Torres 216; Torres Zeta-1; toxic waste disposal; tractor beam; unimatrix shield; vertebra |next= }} de:Extreme Risiken es:Extreme Risk fr:Extreme Risk nl:Extreme Risk Category:VOY episodes